Therapeutic Mammaplasty

Therapeutic mammaplasty refers to an operation in which a wide local excision is performed with a breast lift or breast reduction. In suitable women, this operation can make preserving the breast possible, when otherwise a mastectomy would be necessary.

In other women it can allow a wider excision of the cancer. Our studies show that it can reduce the chances of requiring further surgery to achieve complete excision of the cancer compared to standard wide local excision by more than 16%. It can also improve the cosmetic result and reduce or eliminate deformity caused by removing breast tissue.

In some women with very large breasts it can also reduce the adverse effects of radiotherapy, which can be more severe in such cases.

It is usually performed as a bilateral operation (both breasts) so that the breasts are symmetrical.

In certain situations a mammaplasty on the affected breast is performed in the first instance and adjuvant treatment is carried out and then, if the patient wishes, contralateral symmetrisation is performed; i.e. the normal side is reduced or lifted to match the operated breast.

Recovery and aftercare following this operation is the same as for a breast reduction or breast lift. Most women stay one or two nights in hospital.

Mr. Ahmad has extensive experience in therapeutic mammaplasty. Over the last five years he has performed more than 200 such procedures and has a very successful outcome both from the cancer point of view and cosmetically from this procedure.

By using this technique he has reduced the rate of second operations from 22% to 8% and has also reduced the incidence of mastectomies in his practice.

Therapeutic Mammaplasty – Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Therapeutic Mammaplasty?

It is a very clever way of excising breast cancer, especially large breast cancer, which allows adequate removal of the cancer whilst maintaining the shape of the breast and at the same time providing breast up-lift.

It is possible to perform this procedure on most breast cancer patients. In some cases it even can avoid mastectomy.

What Can Be The Disadvantages Of The Conventional Method?

Removal of breast cancer, particularly large cancers, in the conventional way – otherwise known as lumpectomy or wide local excision – does not always allow adequate removal of the cancer and results in a second operation in a quarter of patients. Furthermore it can also, in some cases, leave the breast with a degree of distortion.

Therapeutic mammoplasty addresses most of these issues.

What To Expect?

At consultation Mr. Ahmad discusses the detail of the procedure with the patient in great depth. All procedures are done under general anesthetic. There are predominantly two ways of performing this procedure: vertical, with only one small scar just underneath the areola, and wise pattern, which has three scars.

Mr. Ahmad performs therapeutic mammoplasty most commonly using the vertical technique, which is considered to be the most modern. He is equally proficient in the wise pattern technique, and will use it selectively for cases where it is indicated.

Post-operative recovery time is the same and complication rates are slightly less than the conventional technique of removing cancer (lumpectomy).

Mr. Ahmad doesn’t use drains in the breast after this technique and patients are allowed home after an overnight stay in most of the instances. In some instances, the breast will be broad-taped on the outer and lower aspect, and kept in position for one week.

This is in order to make sure the breast remains in the right shape while the necessary healing is taking place.

Symmetrisation Procedure

Mr. Ahmad endeavours to perform this as a bilateral procedure to create symmetry at the same time but it is always possible to do this later due to various factors. In these cases, the symmetrisation procedure is offered at a later date when all the treatment is completed for the breast in question.

Post-Operative Care

Patients are instructed to commence regular exercises as soon as they feel comfortable. In most cases, normal activity is resumed within a week or so.

(To view before & after images of therapeutic mammaplasty, click here… Please Note: some images may not be suitable for children and if you get offended by nudity.)